The most important thing about choosing a hospital is the quality of the doctors and nurses who work there. Did you know you can check a hospital’s references? You can! Start by checking the doctors’ credentials first.
Here is what to look for:
1. Where did the doctor receive his or her training?
Some medical schools are better than others. Follow up with an online search for school ratings and reviews.
2. Is your doctor “board certified?”
Doctors graduate from medical school and go on to do a residency, fellowship or other training. When they finish their training, they can choose to take a test called the “boards.” A doctor who is “board certified,” must take a regularly scheduled test to stay up-to-date with his or her skills.
3. How often does your doctor perform the surgery or procedure you are getting?
How many times have they successfully performed this procedure? How frequently? Be sure to consider the patient’s age when asking. For example, if your 2-year-old child is getting an operation, find out how often your doctor operates on 2-year-olds. It is very different to perform surgery on a healthy adult versus a small child.
4. Does your doctor have specialized training in your particular condition?
Will a general surgeon perform your surgery or a specialist who specializes in the type of surgery you are getting?
Have you ever investigated your hospitals references? What other questions would you add to this list? I’d love to hear from you!
MyHealthSpin helps you Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!
Learn more about what to do when things don’t go as planned with my ebook Easy Healthcare: Your Hospital Stay. You can get it FREE right now by subscribing to our blog.